whipping boy
This year’s Durban July could be substantially affected by a high court ruling long before the gates swing open at Greyville on July 7. Top trainer Mike de Kock has threatened to seek relief from the court, contending that the David Ferraris-trained Celtic Grove has been set to carry too light a weight at 51,5kg.
The July is a merit-weighted handicap, which means runners should be allocated weights in accordance with ability shown on the track. A letter from De Kock’s lawyers points out that Celtic Grove in his last race, the weight-for-age Gold Circle Challenge, beat other July entrants who have higher merit ratings.
Among those beaten was the highest-rated runner in the July, El Picha, who will carry top weight of 58kg. On the Gold Challenge run he is therefore a whopping 5kg worse off with Celtic Grove in the July and, strictly speaking, has very little chance of beating the young star.
The lawyers argue that Celtic Grove’s rating, and therefore the weight he is set to carry in the July, should have been increased after that victory. The response from Gold Circle’s lawyers was a single sentence to the effect that “the handicaps were properly arrived at”.
We await De Kock’s next move with interest. If the weights indeed remain unchanged, it seems only the 2 200m distance can prevent Ferraris from reversing the heartbreak of Young Rake’s defeat in last year’s photo-finish.
This week at Clairwood Park the Charles Laird-trained Skeem Team should make a bold bid to land the R100 000 KwaZulu-Natal Breeders 1600. The Desert Team gelding has shown his best form over more ground, most recently finishing well for second in the Lonsdale handicap over 2 400m. He seems to have the class to score here.
Laird sends out three more of the 10 runners but stable jockey Mark Khan has elected to ride Skeem Team.
The other Laird, Alec, sends out Proud Peyton, a daughter of National Assembly, in the eighth. She has good form but local runners Shang Dynasty and Florrie’s Flier, from the in-form stables of Mike Airey and Dennis Drier, should not be overlooked. In the sixth another Gauteng-based trainer, Dominic Zaki, should do well with two-year-old Royale Scandal.
In the third Last Judgement tries again to lose her maiden tag after being beaten by Drier’s first-timer Rise And Rejoice last time. This time he looks well in, except that Drier again sends out a debutante, Heart And Soul, who is a half-sister to good sprinter Ndizane and cost owner Mary Slack a cool R260 000. Watch!
At Kenilworth Joey Ramsden’s Top Slot contests the Grade 3 Winter Derby over 2 400m. He is improving rapidly and is highly thought of by his connections. The Jallad gelding finished a good second to top-class Redcarpet Style in the Winter Classic last time. Any further improvement will make him very hard to beat. Mike Bass’s Sports Warrior, with Gerrit Schlechter up, still looks capable of huge improvement and might be the main danger.
Turffontein: Tango Dancer (race 1); Cupid’s Arrow (race 4); Manipur (race 8).
Kenilworth: The Gard-Farder (race 4) Jammin Jive (race 8).
ENDS